This invention relates to an apparatus for separating solid particulates from a gaseous effluent. More specifically, the invention is concerned with efficient separation of very small fluidized catalytic or non-catalytic particles from a gaseous effluent comprising said particles and treated carbo-metallic hydrocarbons.
In the contacting of hydrocarbons, extensive use is made of circulating fluidized beds. The apparatus employed for such systems as fluid catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon oils comprises a contacting zone, a disengaging zone, a regeneration zone and means to circulate solids, and vapors. The apparatus of this invention centers on the disengaging zone in which fluid contacting material is rapidly separated from a gaseous or vaporous effluent.
A very effective contacting zone for hydrocarbon conversion is an elongated conduit such as found in a riser cracking zone. The riser cracker zone features rapid intimate contact of fluidized catalyst particles with hot oil vapors as the material progressively moves within the zone. The vaporous effluent components are quickly and substantially separated from the catalyst particles near the downstream exit of the zone. A discussion of prior art methods and apparatus used to carry out this separation of solid particulates from vapors is given in the section entitled PRIOR ART, which follows immediately hereinafter.